Salvatore Faso opened the original Piccolino in 2007. A Sicilian by way of Chicago, Faso comes from a family of Italian chefs and restaurateurs. He owns Delizie also in Mission Viejo. He made a name for himself at Prego before setting off on his own with Piccolino.

In August of 2015he moved to a free-standing building with exponentially nicer decor – it’s now the poshest Italian restaurant in south Orange County. The centerpiece is a beautiful wine vault that surrounds the front entrance. And there’s plenty to show off. Faso has assembled a concise but impressive collection of Italian wines.Make sure to ask about the veal porterhouse. Chances are nobody’s going to tell you about it unless you bring it up. It’s not on the menu. It’s a secret special that’s always in short supply but usually available for a few orders each night. It is absolutely superb: cut gloriously thick, heavily charred around the edges and rosy pink throughout.

Italian Catering & Special Event Menu •48-hour notice appreciated. •We offer full service Italian catering for corporate meetings, birthday parties, bridal showers, weddings, and much more. •We feature traditional Italian cuisine at a reasonable price, using the best ingredients available. Integrity is our reputation. •We also offer a full line of rentals as well as servers. View our online Italian Catering Menu or inquire within for a custom Italian catering menu that best fits your needs. Ask for Chef Salvatore for your special event needs.

Private Dining

Our three private dinning areas offer an “elegant upscale” atmosphere for family, friends or co-workers to shower everyone with happiness. We understand your expecting a special day, leave it to us, sit back and let our 3 generations of experience make your thoughts and dreams come true.

Paste

All our Pasta are artisan made with fresh ingredients and hard durum semolina. Ingredients; egg, flour, salt, E.V.O.O. Wheat or Gluten Substitute available upon request at no charge. Split charge if possible $2

Portions are small for the price and kitchen was backed up so long wait for our food. Service was good and beautifully decorated place. We’ve been here at least 3 times and keep hoping it will be a better experience each time but always leave with this same impression. When the bill arrived we realized we could have had steak dinners for our party of 5 somewhere nice for the same price. Appetizers are suitable for 1 or maybe 2 to eat. Very small. Don’t ask the server to surprise you or you will end up with a 40 dollar dish.

I drove from San Diego for a business dinner reluctantly but was really glad I did. The service was top notch. I am a very picky Italian cook and rarely eat at Italian restaurants but this was fantastic. Both of my guests enjoyed their meals very much as well. I will definitely make the trip here again. It was well worth the drive.

Always a wonderful experience, the staff and they way they treat the customers is superb. My main course was one of the evenings specials, veal 18oz. While the meat was high quality I was really unimpressed with the entire plate. The pasta dishes are amazing though and definitely worth a try. Wine selection is top notch, there is also plenty of liquor choices for your favorite cocktail.

This was an excellent find. We were looking for something near the movie theaters in Rancho Santa Margarita. This came up on Open Table with excellent reviews. The food was excellent and so was the service. It would have been difficult to find without GPS. We will be back.

The overall experience was wonderful. The staff was accommodating and gave us the quiet booth we asked for. Our server was enthusiastic and attentive. The owner stopped by to ensure that we were happy. Our meal was delicious and plentiful. If you like to bring your own wine, the corkage is only $0.25 for the first bottle Monday thru Thursday. Yes, just a quarter!!

This was our first time here and absolutely loved Picvolino. It is great for a special occasion or just when you want a really nice Italian meal. We all got different items - super fresh and delicious. It is a new favorite and now we don’t have to travel to Prego or Il Fornaio for upscale Italian dishes!!

My husband and I love going here. It is a special treat for anniversary or Valentines date. We don’t go often because it is a bit pricey. This time it was very noisy and noticed they put TVs in the restaurant. ( They moved from a smaller space to a much larger space. ) When we go out we prefer to not have distractions like TVs and noise.

We were expecting the quiet ambience it had when it was smaller, but was disappointed on how loud it was. I am deaf in my left ear so noisy restaurants are difficult for me.

We have been to Piccolino's several times and we have never been disappointed. The food is excellent and the staff insures you are comfortable, enjoying your meal, taking empty plates and re-filling your water glass.

Went there for Valentines Day. Place was overcrowded. Too many people for the restaurant to handle well. Long wait for our entrees. My wife's steak was cold from the kitchen; she had to send it back. The service was hit and miss. They gave us only a $15 credit for the cold steak and long wait. Not impressed. We've been there before and were satisfied. They just couldn't handle the large crowd.

The menu it very extensive and the food superb. This was my second visit as a requent business traveler to the area. I plan on frequenting Piccolino quite often. The others in my party were equally impressed.

Second time dinning here, first time in their new expanded location. Waited for our table, arrived a little early, server arrived promptly, a little pushy on getting an order placed. The minestrone soup was a little bland, house salad good. A polenta with sausage dish was very good, the Fettuccine was undercooked, rubbery. The owner said they cook pasta al dente, but not so. For the price of entree's and the result we experienced, not a place we would return to soon.

Picollino's is an authentic Italian restaurant which does a GREAT job representing the foods of Italy. When we came back from a three week visit to the Italian coast we didn't go out for Italian food for month's since we knew it wouldn't live up to our experience dining in Italy. Picollino's changed all of that! BTW, ask for Joanna - she is a top notch server and made our recent visit an outstanding experience!

Great local Italian restaurant. Great food, amazing service and overall wonderful dining experience. Took our kids for their 5th wedding anniversary and Piccolino's did not disappoint. We were treated to fantastic service by professionals that know how to make an evening memorable. We will be back again and again!!

Although it was the busy holiday schedule, the staff seated us quickly, and our service team was exceptional (even bringing additional pecorino, when requested.) The food was reminiscent of a recent trip to Tuscany, and was very much enjoyed.